2007 Season Review: Seniors reap NESCAC, team awards

Jan 04, 2008

A trio of Bates College seniors were elected to the 2007 All-NESCAC Football team, capping a season that ended with Bates' fourth straight win over Hamilton College. Defensive end Anthony Begon, tight end Ross Van Horn and offensive lineman Ryan Wimberly were all elected to the Second Team.

QB Brandon Colon '08 receives congratulations from teammates.

Begon collected 54 tackles, 36 solo, with 12.0 for a loss and 6.0 sacks, career highs for him in all categories. Begon ranked second in the NESCAC in sacks and third in tackles for a loss. He also ranked first in the conference in tackles by a defensive lineman and 20th overall. A three-year starter for Bates, Begon accumulated 144 tackles, 32.5 for a loss, and 16.0 sacks over his four years.

Van Horn became the first Bates tight end to be elected All-NESCAC since Mike Moynahan '04 in 2003. In his third year as a starter, Van Horn nearly matched his receiving production from his sophomore and junior years combined in 2007, with 20 receptions for 220 yards. (He entered the season with career totals of 22 catches and 187 yards.) Van Horn had at least one catch in all eight games for the Bobcats, with career highs of five catches and 61 yards recorded against Williams on Oct. 6.

Wimberly started all eight games for the Bobcats at left guard. The 6-3, 280-pound lineman helped Bates rank sixth in the conference in sacks allowed, with 13 (a five-sack improvement from 2006), sixth in pass offense at 180.0 yards per game (up from 153.1 in 2006) and seventh in the league in rushing offense with 95.0 yards per game (up from 69.6 yards per game in 2006).

Tom Beaton '10 and teammates celebrate a long touchdown reception against Amherst.

Linebacker Todd Wilcox, the team captain, was named to the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team. Senior quarterback Brandon Colon finished the season with 119 completions out of 246 attempts, with 1,390 passing yards. He ends his career with the all-time Bates records in all three of those categories, with totals of 453 completions, 949 passes and 5,162 yards.

Sophomore Tom Beaton finished the year with 877 all-purpose yards, the highest total for a Bobcat since Sean Atkins '03 had 1,085 in 2002. Classmate Kyle McAllister led the conference in interceptions with 6.

Ross Van Horn and Anthony Begon were the recipients of the Garnet Gridder Most Valuable Player awards for offense and defense, respectively.

Todd Wilcox and Brian Machunski received the Alan C. Goddard '53 Award for players who have shown the greatest improvement during their Bates playing careers.

The recipients of the Robert P. Schmidt Award, for the team members who best demonstrated exemplary physical or mental courage while bringing honor and achievement to himself and his team, were Tim Casey and Ron DiGravio.